Penguins and Petrels

I am fascinated by paintings, I love Ravi Varma's paintings to some extent, generally the rustic colours would make you go mad. But they have never affected me to the extent the black and white pencil sketches once published in Ananda Vikatan. Though I worked for Vikatan for some time, I have never tried to send even one of mine (i have done only a few). The black and whites can affect you very deeply and make you realize that the subject of the painting has already took over your control. Recently I tumbled across this website of Robert Bateman a wildlife artist. He and his wife roam around world, paint (and make money of course)... This painting was one which affected me the most : The Giant Petrels and Albino Gentoo Penguin. I watched the recently released "March of the Penguins"... It is a wonderful wildlife movie with mediastream (less scientific) narrations, the visuals are excellent and it would have been very tough to shoot that movie in the first instant. I rate it with five stars. In that movie, one section comes where the Giant Petrels prey on the penguin eggs or young ones. The father penguins are left behind after laying eggs and mothers migrate to fill their hungry guts. The fathers brood over the eggs and walk along with the egg where ever they go... They protect the egg against snow storms, they stay still for hours and weeks without food to protect their eggs his "girl" would have left in his custody... Amazing and romantic ! The predatory forces acting are the Giant Petrels, which come like vultures preying on the chicks or eggs of the penguins. The Giant petrels are also said to feed on Elephant carcasses probably carcass feeders too... That is nature !!! The petrels then carry them where ? - To their nests ....Natural selection in action...!!! Many of the males (Emperor Penguins) who fail to protect their eggs will be deprived of his family and has to wait till next breeding season to have a family. I was just reminded of that (and left my assignment on Malaysian Peat Swamp forests in stranded condition and sat to write this post....:-), and why was I looking into that Robert Bateman's website in between my assignment ? - Dont ask questions okay ?

Life is like that !!!